Wednesday, April 20, 2011

RIPPLE EFFECT OF THE GOVERNOR REIGN OF TERROR

In a matter of days after Jimmy began his killing rampage on the night of Friday 20 July 1900, there were 10 murder victims.
This figure includes the about-to-be-born baby of Elizabeth O'Brien.
Then there were those who were physically and psychologically wounded by the Governors but managed to survive.
ELSIE CLARKE, 18, the younger sister of murdered Sarah Mawbey,
CATHERINE BENNETT (nee LALOR), the midwife,
ISABELLA BURLEY, the 15 year old girl who was raped by Jimmy in the bush at gunpoint.
That's three more people, all women, who would never forget Jimmy Governor.
His indelible black mark had been embedded permanently in their psyches.
But there were also the others who were psychologically 'soul murdered' by Jimmy.
Those so traumatised at what had been done to their loved ones that they never recovered.
Like the two husbands and fathers, JOHN MAWBEY and MICK O'BRIEN, who lived the rest of their mortal lives as zombies, in a state of suspended animation.
In the old Phantom comics, a zombie was described as 'the ghost who walks'.
These two men might as well have been dead.

Also traumatised were all the wives and children and parents of the murder victims:
* The six surviving Mawbey children - John Jr, Garnet, Reginald (George), Sydney, Albert, and Cecil.
* Their Clarke uncle Fred Clarke and aunt Emily Clarke (living with her big sister Sarah as her adopted child) who were also at the murder scene.
* Their cousin, George Mawbey, son of their father's younger brother, who was at the murder scene.
* Mary McKay and her niece, Louise who lost their husband and uncle.
* Mr and Mrs Kerz, Martin and Margaret, the parents of the murdered school teacher, and her brothers and sisters, neices and nephews.
* Bernard, the nephew of Keiran (correct spelling: Kyrien, possibly derived from Catholic Latin Mass prayer, Kyrie, 'Lord have mercy') Fitzpatrick who witnessed his uncle's murder.
* The parents of the underage girl who was raped by Jimmy.

The number of people who suffered direct psychological 'collateral damage' as a result of the brutality of Jimmy Governor and his partners in crime was at least 50.
However, a 'ripple effect' meant that meant many other people were traumatised in varying degrees.
* those who were confronted with the battered bodies of the murder victims like doctors, chaplains and undertakers.
* those living in outlying areas who were too afraid to stay in their homes and moved into the town for safety, leaving their stock and crops unattended.
* those who encountered the Governor brothers during their rampage and who lived to tell the hair-raising stories.